Known from the as yet unpublished DE 10 2007 004 306.8 from the applicant of the present invention are a network component, a method for operating such a network component, an automation system having such a network component and also a method for data conveyance in an automation system when using such a network component. The invention described here is a development of the invention described in the aforementioned DE 10 2007 004 306.8, for which reason the latter's complete disclosure is referred to here.
Whereas DE 10 2007 004 306.8 relates to a particularly favorable method for data conveyance in an automation system, a network component provided for this purpose, etc., the invention described here relates to a method for transferring data, which still functions reliably even if communication connections are partially interrupted in the automation system. Methods for the redundant conveyance of data are indeed likewise known, but the redundant conveyance of data proposed here is based on the fact that the communicative connection of the communication stations follows a predefined hierarchy, as is described in DE 10 2007 004 306.8, that an alias matched to the hierarchy is assigned to each communication station, as is likewise described in DE 10 2007 004 306.8, and that frames sent in the automation system, which are also referred to synonymously in the following as telegrams, at least also designate a receiver or destination communication station by means of its alias.